Shippensburg University earns $70k grant to boost PA beer brewers

Shippensburg University is using a $71,701 Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) grant to prepare workers for the Pennsylvania brewed and malt beverage industry. The project, one of 12 granted, focuses on increasing production of Pennsylvania-made malt and brewed beverages and enhancing the Pennsylvania beer industry.

Dr. Alison Feeney, grant director and professor of geography/earth science, said Ship’s project builds on a brewery summit the university hosted last year.

“We aim to develop educational short courses and professional training opportunities to meet the needs of a well-trained, skilled workforce, along with identifying common lab tests and procedures. Small breweries will be able to use university services and build educational/apprenticeship type experiences for students,” Feeney said.

According to the Brewers Association, Pennsylvania ranks No. 1 in the nation in the number of barrels of beer produced annually. Act 39 of 2016 created the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board and authorized the PLCB to approve up to $1 million annually for development and marketing of the Pennsylvania beer industry.